The Dodgers are open to replacing Yasiel Puig at the deadline, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. That could well mean trading him to facilitate a deal, and it seems Los Angeles is at least weighing the possibility of such a move. As Rosenthal notes, it’s hardly certain that the Dodgers will make a move in the corner outfield, let alone that they’ll part with two more years of control over the talented 25-year-old to do it. That’s likely all the more true given that Puig is finally showing signs of life at the plate.
Here’s more from the National League:
- Phillies outfielder Aaron Altherr is nearing a major league return, and MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki says that an active roster spot could be cleared via trade. Peter Bourjos seems the most obvious candidate to be moved; indeed, the free agent-to-be cracked MLBTR’s most recent list of the top 25 trade candidates. Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin says the club is eager to get a look at Altherr, who has been out all year after undergoing wrist surgery this spring.
- With Yoenis Cespedes asking to move out of full-time center field duties, the Mets are considering whether Michael Conforto can handle the position, ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin reports. Manager Terry Collins said he was on board with moving Cespedes to the less-demanding, more familiar spot in left. The question is whether Conforto is up to the task given his lack of experience there. It seems, though, that he’ll receive a bit of a trial by fire at the major league level, potentially splitting time with Juan Lagares up the middle.
- The Mets have received some promising news on righty Zack Wheeler, with Marc Carig of Newsday reporting that he’s been throwing bullpen sessions of late. That could set Wheeler up for a rehab assignment in relatively short order. New York won’t have much of a chance to assess his progress before the trade deadline, but can at least rest easy knowing that the talented righty is again making forward progress in his return from Tommy John surgery.
- Padres outfielder Jon Jay tells Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link) that he anticipates returning to the majors within a “couple” of weeks. Of course, that almost certainly means he won’t be able to make it back in advance of the trade deadline, which was always the expectation when he went down with a fractured forearm. Jay could be moved in August, particularly if San Diego is able to get him through waivers early in the month — thus opening the possibility of getting a solid offer once he has returned to full health. Such a waiver placement could be risky, though, because the club might be forced to let him go, take a meager trade return if he is claimed, or pull him back while losing the chance to deal him later in the month. With just over $6MM in annual salary, Jay isn’t a terribly expensive piece for a team in need of outfield help, so it’s not inconceivable at all that a contender would roll the dice on a claim even before he’s at full health.
- Meanwhile, the Padres are drawing stronger interest in Andrew Cashner than his spotty recent track record might suggest, Rosenthal reports in the above-linked piece. The righty did just throw a gem, and still carries a tantalizing arm, so perhaps it isn’t surprising to hear that multiple organizations are interested in a chance at harnessing the evident talent.
A'sfaninUK
Does Hill, Reddick and a reliever for Puig and a top 10 Dodgers prospect work for both teams? With Oakland taking on his contract? Puig could sure use a smaller media so he can be free to be himself, like Cespedes was and the A’s need OFs.
staypuft
Conforto in center? What can possibly go wrong?
seckert15
Why not Granderson? He is more than familiar with the position.
JFactor
But even when he used to play there, he wasn’t good. Age isn’t going to help him
staypuft
I’m also not sure if you can just throw Conforto in RF at Citi either. Not the easiest RF to play. We’ll see how it plays out, I guess.
Ruben_Tomorrow 2
Next year, their outfield will begin to take shape for seasons going forward. I don’t see Cespedes coming back and Granderson enters his final season under contract. Leaves spots for Conforto and Nimmo if the Mets have enough confidence in giving them the positions.
jmdjr1966
Granderson is the right fielder . Period. Seeing him in center-field scares me. Cespedes and Granderson (For strong arm purposes only) should switch positions. Yes, this leaves Conforto out of the equation no matter who plays right or left field.
I want a real center fielder or Lagares plays there everyday. The only way the Mets can improve is in center field via a trade. Conforto needs to be a bench player or learn to play a mean center filed. That makes four solid outfielders.
In the infield, Duda is coming back and Loney is a serviceable fill-in or back up to Duda.
Kelly Johnson backs up Second base and Neil Walker is fine there. Cabrera is backed up by Reyes who also now plays third base. Rivera is a superb backup catcher to D’Arneaud.
So 9 infielders and four outfielders. is 13 every day players.
In the post season We will go with 15 bench players. And September 1 we can add another 15 to the end of the season.
The key is to get 13 superb every day players to get us to September 1.
jmdjr1966
I forgot that Flores is the 9th infielder.
Looking at today’s Mets lineup, I am reminded of last June, 2015.
Does Collins have a clue about how to manage. This team has under performed even with the injuries. They don’t know small ball at all. (illiteration intended).
Do they want to win the game today verse the Cubs or are they just throwing the game?
krillin
I know it probably, well won’t, happen. It also probably, well doesn’t, make sense. But it would be cool to see the Braves get Puig. I don’t think the pieces line up and I don’t really like his attitude. But, it would be fun to see how it would play out. Mallex, Inciarte, and Puig could be fun. Markakis is done after his contract is up.
Gogerty
Yeah but where could we put Markakis (in a trade).
krillin
I was thinking more of him being a super 4th outfielder until his contract runs out.
Gogerty
I know we have probably hit on this a lot, but $11MM a year for 4th OF, plus paying Olivera is a bit much on the bench. Had the same issues in the Bourn/Swish/CJ trade.
krillin
Yeah, that is a good point
jakem59
“Jay could be moved in August…Such a waiver placement could be risky, though, because the club might be forced to let him go or take a meager trade return if he is claimed”
Are you even aware how revocable waivers work? They don’t have to do anything with him if they don’t want to, regardless of whether he goes claimed or unclaimed.
GoCards11
This was my first thought too, there is nothing risky about trade waivers in August…
seckert15
Lol
Jeff Todd
It’s risky in that they could lose the chance to trade him later, but also won’t have leverage to ask for much from the claiming team.
So, say they put him on waivers in early August, before he has put down some PAs. The Dodgers claim him, just for example. LAD says “we will take the salary, but won’t give you anything.” SDP pulls him back. Next time he goes on waivers, it’s irrevocable.
If they get him through waivers at that point, they could let him re-establish value and trade him. So that’s the upside to it.
The slightly safer bet would be to wait, let him show he’s back to full health, and then put him on waivers. Then, the Dodgers (or whoever) claim him, and SDP can legitimately demand something in return. But there’s less upside, b/c it is still a claim scenario so they can only negotiate with one team.
EDIT: I added a bit more to the post to make my point clear, but yes, I do know how this process works, thank you.
sddew
Good for you, Jeff! The point made sense to me in the article. don’t get some of the critical comments that are thrown out there. Keep up the good work!
Jeff Todd
Thank you. I’m happy to have my mistakes pointed out, and I can see why some didn’t get what I was trying to say, so I did clarify it a bit. That said, it’s always appreciated when folks raise their issues in a friendly manner.
olereb
With everything I have heard about puig, I hope he stays out west
Niekro
I think the Padres set the market so low, they may be best just holding onto Cashner and giving him a QO maybe he will accept it.
sddew
I hate the idea of keeping Cashner and making a QO. I could see him accepting and pitching a grand total of 58 innings in 2017 for his $$ haul!
Niekro
With such a weak market probably would be long shot for him to accept it unless he genuinely wants to rebuild his value, which could spell a bigger return next trade deadline for the Padres.
Kayrall
Cashner on a 1 year qualifying contract during a rebuilding year is definitely not a bad gamble to take. Sure, he could pitch 58 innings, but the upside for him to be flipped is pretty great.
If the Padres were super concerned about financial flexibility for deadline additions next year, then I would say you’re right. I just don’t see that being the case.
sdsuphilip
I don’t get what you mean by set the market so low. If Padres can’t get close to QO value they should definitely keep him and offer it, very much doubt he will take it
37santobanks
Doesn’t LA have 3 more years of control over Puig, not 2? BBref shows him being a free agent in 2020.
BlueSkyLA
I believe you are right, he is arbitration eligible in 2019, and a free agent the year after.
Stuart Brown
Correct. He wouldn’t have been Arb-eligible in 2019 had he hit six years of service time prior to the expiration of his contract, but that won’t happen. Even if he’s on the major league roster for the full 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons he will end up about a month shy of that mark. This likely wasn’t an accident on the Dodgers’ part.
BlueSkyLA
Which means… he will actually become a free agent after the 2018 season?
degrom4mvp48
LF Céspedes CF Lagares RF Granderson Conforto should come up off the bench
Ruben_Tomorrow 2
They didn’t recently recall Conforto just to come off the bench. He needs to play. That’s the only way he’s going to develop.
ThePriceWasRight
Montas and Puig for Reddick and Gray if Reddick and the Dodgers can work out an extension.
PhilliesFan012
Not even close to enough the get gray from Oakland. And not even in the same world to get both. Beane will want half the farm for both in one trade.
iamhector24
The price is wrong…
AngelFan69
Puig could be that long await solution to the Angels outfield dilemma… But… What would the Dodgers want as a part of a trade package?
sdsuphilip
The OF delimma isn’t that there isn’t enough playing time to go around, their OF has not been good outside of Trayce’s hot start
dwilson10
If the Dodgers do trade Puig, they would have to sell home low. He’s struggled the last 2 years and is having trouble staying healthy.
bitterpadresfan
Kemp, cashner and 15 million for Puig.
krillin
I don’t think the Dodgers want Kemp back.
Deke
I would agree. Dodger’s didn’t eat all that salary for no reason, they wanted him gone. I think Kemp would do great on an AL team where he didn’t need to field as often, just to give him a break.
It’s really sad to see a lot of these great players leave the game because they can’t handle the grueling schedule and workload. I would love to see a “Veterans Slot” in teams. Where teams could sign say 2 veteran players (over a certain age) but they can only play a limited number of innings (part time player if you will). That way we get to see some of the greats stay around for a little longer and teams would be more willing to take the risk on an older guy towards the end of this career. The inability to option a veteran I think really hurts the ability for a borderline, older guy being signed towards the end of this career.
Effectively the AL uses the DH for this type of role. They can spell an older player at a less demanding position for a few games. Rather than add DH to the NL, allow teams to have one or two “veteran part time players”.
Then maybe we get to see some of these older players stay around for a while and not be run into the ground. Maybe it’s just me finding it hard to say goodbye to some of the old players I still love to watch but hate seeing them struggle with injuries because they can’t handle 162 games or starting 30 games a year.
mlbfan1978
Why would the Padres want Puig? The whole point of moving Kemp would be to promote Hunter Renfroe.
bitterpadresfan
Just trying to make up ways to get out of Kemps contract even though i still feel he is a better player than people say. We dont need puig but i would take him. With Jay and Upton gone, Puig
bitterpadresfan
could get a good amount of playing time.
mlbfan1978
If Kemp goes it will be to an AL team where he can DH. Padres would have to bite a ton of money. Could package him with someone else. Maybe Upton to the White Sox.
koz16
Does anybody really want to take a chance on Puig and that ten cent head of his?
sdsuphilip
Yes, many teams.
Deke
FULL DISCLOSURE: I personally can’t stand Puig. I think he’s toxic. But would I roll the dice on that guy if I were a GM? ABSOLUTELY I would. I think if Puig were given good mentorship, preferably from another Cuban player and had a strong coaching staff he respected and listened to. He would be an amazing player.
Puig reminds me of GREAT players I have played with. When they play at lower levels their raw talent makes up for fundamental mistakes. For example, a player with a great arm will overthrow cutoff men but if the result is that they throw someone out at the plate the fundamental mistake is forgiven.
But in the majors you’re around other great players that will capitalize on that lack of discipline because they know it’s coming., Puig’s lack of smart baseball acumen constantly gives the opposition an extra 90 feet. Puig needs a coaching staff he respects and listens to, and if he finds one, he will become an even more amazing player…. and I hate saying this because I really don’t like the guy.
bsteady powers
Puig to the Braves for Vizcaino, Inciarte… If that’s not enough add a minor leaguer
Gogerty
Markakis/Puig/Smith for the OF? Interesting and could work well.
Sam.rhodes16
As a Braves fan, absolutely not. Puig can’t hit well anymore and has been declining since he entered the league. I would rather keep inciarte’s defense in CF and Vizzy in the bullpen to regain his value than flip them for a very flawed tool in Puig.
socalbaseballdude
The Dodgers would not do this only for Vizcaino and Inciarte….Teheran would have to be included, as would Puig and several top Dodgers prospects like Grant Holmes, Jharel Cotton, Brock Stewart, Austin Barnes, etc, among several top talents. The Dodgers would also want a top Braves prospect in return…..
bbatardo
Are teams allowed to do conditional Player to be named later trades? For example, say a team deals for Jay prior to Aug 1st for PTBNL. Could they say you get player A if he returns this date or player B if he returns later?
sdsuphilip
I think this is a logical outcome. Say Jay is traded on July 30th, they could have it for one mediocre prospect and a PTBNL that is based on the amount of games he plays.
metsoptimist
You know, I don’t like that Cespedes gets to dictate what position he plays.
socalbaseballdude
Blockbuster idea: Dodgers send Puig, Grandal, Hatcher, Grant Holmes, Austin Barnes and Jharel Cotton to Milwaukee for: Braun, Lucroy, Jeffress ,Junior Guerra and a prospect. The Brewers get some very good prospects, an affordable Puig, a solid big league catcher in Grandal and a great arm in Hatcher, in exchange for exactly what the Dodgers need: an everyday, power hitting LF who is from LA, a top catcher in Lucroy, a dependable set up reliever and a tough starting pitcher to fill the hole in the rotation. Thoughts?